Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckadire’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckadire’, characterized by its large inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves with burgundy-colored petioles; uniform and upright plant habit; freely branching habit with strong lateral stems; natural season flower maturity date is December 2 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about  9.5  weeks; and excellent post-production longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckadire’.

The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding programis to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts withdesirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-productionlongevity.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary Poinsettia selection identified as N59, not patented, as thefemale, or seed, parent, with a proprietary Poinsettia selectionidentified as N33, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar Eckadire was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Encinitas, Calif., in December, 1998. The selection ofthis plant was based on its attractive flower bract colors and goodplant form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken atEncinitas, Calif., since 1999, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Eckadire’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Eckadire’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Large inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts.

2. Dark green-colored leaves with burgundy-colored petioles.

3. Uniform and upright plant habit.

4. Freely branching habit with strong lateral stems.

5. Natural season flower maturity date is December 2 for plants grown inEncinitas, Calif.; response time, about 9.5 weeks.

6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar N59, plants of thenew Poinsettia are more compact and flower earlier. Compared to plantsof the male parent, the selection N33, plants of the new Poinsettia havedarker green leaves, darker red flower bracts, and flower earlier.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettiacultivar 490, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettiadiffered from plants of the cultivar 490 in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are taller and more upright than plantsof the cultivar 490.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have stronger lateral stems than plantsof the cultivar 490.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller and darker green leavesthan plants of the cultivar 490. In addition, leaves of the newPoinsettia have more rounded lobes than leaves of the cultivar 490.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller and tighter cyathiaclusters than plants of the cultivar 490.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Eckadire’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a topperspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckadire’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical leaves and flower bracts of ‘Eckadire’ (top) and ‘490’ (bottom).Plants used in the photographs were about 18.5 weeks old.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The followingobservations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas,Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 19° C., and lightlevels about 4,000 foot-candles. Single plants were grown in 16.5-cmpots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengtheningnyctoperiods during the fall. Plants used for the description were about18.5 weeks old.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarEckadire.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Poinsettia pulcherrima Willd. selectionidentified as N59, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary Poinsettia pulcherrima Willd. selectionidentified as N33, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20 to 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 28 days at 20 to 22° C.

Rooting habit.—Thick, fibrous and freely-branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle, top of plant rounded; mounding.

Growth habit.—Upright and uniform plant habit. Upright branch angle;strong lateral stems. Freely branching; branching is enhanced byremoving the shoot apex; about 7 lateral branches develop after removalof the terminal apex. Vigorous.

Plant height.—About 31 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 55 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16.5-cmcontainer, about 18.5 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Lateral branch length: About 28 cm. Lateral branchdiameter: About 1.4 cm. Internode length: About 3.25 cm. Stem color:148A.

Foliage description.—Alternate, simple. Quantity of leaves per lateralbranch: About 8. Length: About 12 cm. Width: About 8 cm. Shape: Roughlyovate with shallow rounded lobes. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Mostly acute.Margin: Entire. Texture: Mostly glabrous with very slight pubescence onlower surface. Surface: Smooth, not rugose. Color: Young foliage, uppersurface: Darker than 147A. Young foliage, lower surface: 137A. Maturefoliage, upper surface: Much darker than 147A; midrib, 59C, lateralveins, 137C. Mature foliage, lower surface: 137A; midrib, 59B, lateralveins, 137D. Petiole: Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color:59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flowerinitiation and development can be induced under long nyctoperiodconditions. Response time, about 9.5 weeks; natural season flowermaturity date is December 2 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about 4 to 6 weeks under interiorconditions and for about 8 weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about 7 perplant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 30 cm. Height (depth): About 5.5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usuallyabout 14 primary bracts and about 5 to 6 smaller secondary bracts perinflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 15.5 cm; stalk, about 4.5cm. Width, largest bracts: About 11 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate; occasionalrounded lobes. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded to acute. Margin: Entire.Texture: Glabrous, velvety. Surface: Initially slightly rugose, thensmooth, not rugose. Orientation: Initially upright, then horizontal toslightly reflexed. Color: Developing, upper surface: Brighter than 46A.Developing, lower surface: 45A. Mature, upper surface: Brighter red than46A; color does not fade with subsequent development. Mature, lowersurface: 53D.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 5 to 9 per corymb. Diameter of cyathiacluster: About 2 by 2.5 cm. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 5 mm.Shape: Ovate. Color: Immature: 144A. Mature: 144A to 144B. Peduncle:Length: About 4 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144B. Stamens: Stamennumber: Typically about 15 per cyathium. Anther shape: Oval. Antherlength: About 1 mm. Anther color: 46A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollencolor: 12A. Pistils: Not observed. Nectary number: One or two percyathia. Nectary color: 24A.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Poinsettias hasnot been observed on plants grown under commercial conditions.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘Eckadire’, as illustrated and described.